Page 53 of The English Queen

Louis woke early the day after Rita and Bruno’s wedding. He should have been exhausted but could not sleep. The wedding reception had been unexpectedly poignant. Louis wasn’t one for a party—ironic given his line of work. However, he was a sap. He’d been sad to miss the actual wedding. Everyone said it was sweet. It would have been the last time he and Beth attended a wedding as a non-married couple. She looked so happy. Just spending time with her and not working felt special. It had been a while since Louis saw her so carefree.

It was balm for the soul. The government was in a state of utter meltdown with a sex scandal about to break wide open. It could not have been worse timing. Louis tried not to burden Beth. He would broach it while they were on their way to Oslo. Louis didn’t have the heart to tell Beth such dreadful news when she was so delighted and at-ease. Louis looked at her, curled with one leg nearly up to her chest, face smushed against the pillow, the duvet pulled to her ears. She was perpetually freezing. She also slept in the nude, further contributing to her cold. Louis considered waking her and thought better of it. No, she’d tell him off. She’d rather sleep off the hangover. Louis showered, dressed, and Beth was still in hibernation. He wished he slept so well.

Louis came to the family dining room after being directed by a staff member. To his surprise, it was rather animated. He’d expected maybe Beth’s father would be there. He’d stayed at Buckingham Palace overnight and travelled back with them. However, there were all of Beth’s brothers and their children. It was, in short, a madhouse. The Queen, too, was there.

“Where is Bethy?” Keir asked as Louis sat by Duncan.

“Still asleep and I didn’t want to wake her. I thought she might get up but… no. She’s dead to the world,” Louis replied.

“She tied one on. Best to leave her,” Keir chuckled. “Or lose an eye.”

“Oh, I figured as much. Are Vanora and Rebecca joining?”

Robbie removed a knife from the baby’s hand. “No. Mummy needed—and deserved—a break from us.”

“And Bex would whinge if she knew Robbie brought all four on his own and I didn’t offer to take our three. Nira is with her dad. I couldn’t let Robbie win hands-down.”

“Our gain,” the Queen said. “We never get this many at once anymore. Louis, help yourself to breakfast. And tell us if something is missing, please.”

Louis dove into the heaping breakfast buffet. It was casual. Children ran about to God knows where. He appreciated they were allowed at the table. His mother would have a meltdown. Elise was quite old school. Children should be seen or heard. They would always have had meals elsewhere in the house to avoid bothering the adults. That would change when Louis and Beth had children. He could not see Beth abiding it.

“Hand me the baby. For God’s sake,” Keir said. “She’s never going to let you eat without taking everything off the table, Robert.”

“She’s being a big thorn in my side this morning,” Robbie grumbled, handing Kiersten to her grandfather. “She didn’t want to leave Vanna. And then she cried like she was being taken to the slaughter on the way here.”

Maggie looked the baby over, “I think she is getting teeth, Robert. Teething makes them fussy.”

“Yes, mother, I know how teething works. I have four children. She is perpetually teething.”

Natalie snickered. “I think she doesn’t like you, Daddy. You’ve made her cross.”

“You are asking for it, young lady. You forget I can drop you off later today and wave goodbye.”

“Sod. Off,” she responded. This elicited giggles from her older brother and Duncan’s daughters, Victoria and Christine.

“It’s going swimmingly. Have children, they said. It will be fun, they said,” Duncan sighed. “Leave your father alone, kid. He’s got enough going on.”

Natalie rolled her eyes, “I want to go watch telly.”

“Then go. No one is forcing you to stay here.”

She stood and threw her hair over her shoulder dramatically. George and their cousins followed.

“She got into it with her mother. Puberty is going to kill us. Vanna is tired of the cheeky remarks. Paul copies it all. That’s nothing. She flicked her mother off when they were fighting over sensible shoes. George is our honest soldier, but she’s exhausting.”

“We know nothing of this. Speaking of our wilful child, Margaux, she’s trilingual if drunk.”

Louis laughed. “We did get her to explain a joke in Flemish. She’s getting good. She won’t talk to me, though. She worries I will judge her accent. My sister, Marie, told her she had an adorable baby-sweet accent. She does. You know how Beth is. She’s a perfectionist and took it the wrong way. Drunk, though, we were able to get her to talk. It’s a rarity. You would never say Bethany was shy.”

“She was shy at first,” Keir said. “Always the smallest lass in her class. Always passed over as quiet. Then, her music took off and she was soon performing without fear. It made her as boisterous out in public as it did at home. Natalie, though, she’s always been that way.”

“I still tell you, Robert, she’s going to fight a war, that one. She’s like Beth. She’s fearless but less physically fragile,” Maggie told her son.

“Poor Bethy,” Keir said. “She’s not fragile. She’s small but mighty.”

“And clumsy,” Elliot chuckled. “Oh-so-clumsy.”

Louis snickered. It wasn’t wrong. Beth had a habit of falling up stairs. She would often call out, “I meant to do that!” after she tripped up the stairs. Her worst fear was doing it in on a stage. It was something she’d shared with him early on. It was endearing. For someone as intelligent and pretty as Beth, it was nice to know even she wasn’t perfect.

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